Written by the oldest child in his second family, the biography of Ezra Thompson Clark is that of a successful pioneer, highly-regarded and devoted family man, and intensely loyal follower of the Mormon church.

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Ezra Clark, page 062

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62 EZRA THOMPSON CLARK vised to enter that principle. This explains why Ezra Clark told his wife that if Miss Leggett ever came to Zion he would propose to her. And she, understanding and believ- ing the gospel, it is not strange to say, had told her parents before leaving England that she might be the plural wife of some good man in the Church. Their motives were the highest possible. The methods of practicing the principle of plural marriage differed according to circumstances, dis- positions, shortcomings, ideals, etc. Ezra Clark could well afford to educate and care for his families. His idea was that the first wife should be the head of the women of the family, and to her home the other wives came for provi- sions. This same policy was adopted by Brigham Young among his families, though later abandoned. The wives adjusted to the conditions and the ideals of their husband. It was a day of acceptance. The next gener- ation had different ideas about the father's family policy to which the father was more or less obliged to adjust. For example, when the younger sons of the second family took a load of hay to a furniture company, they brought to their mother's home a piece of furniture, and they no longer went to the first wife for the common necessities such as sugar and soap. Thus, polygamy had its evolution and finally evolved out of the picture of the Latter-day Saint Church. In both homes the spiritual ideals of the father were equally respected. Although eleven children came to the first family and ten to the second, neither tea, coffee, to- bacco, nor liquor were used in either home. Joseph, one of the oldest sons, says he never heard one of his brothers profane. There was but one son in each family that did not fill a mission. One from each family died in the mission